Clash of Two Worlds
by An Anonymous Human Being
Summary: An average geek from the United States is pulled into the world of Pokemon by Arceus in response to a new threat in the Kalos region. Can he save the world from a ruthless and technologically advanced enemy, or will he fail in his quest? (OC interacting with characters from the games.) Will contain violence in later chapters. ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
1. Introduction

**Chapter 1: Introduction**

* * *

**11:46:07 PM, Central Florida, US**

''Collin! Get off of the computer and help me with the TV,'' Collin's mother said with an angry voice.

Collin immediately was filled with a sense of dread. Somehow, whenever he was told to help with something, he would always end up with the blame. Plus, he was in the middle of coding a part of his new game, while catching up with the plot of his favorite TV show: Pokémon. He wasn't quite sure why he loved this certain anime so much, as one would think that a 15 year-old male like himself would be racking up kills on Call of Duty and ingesting ridiculous amounts of Monster Energy drinks instead of watching the newest episodes of a show generally aimed towards children. He played the games, watched the show, and even contributed to many shipping communities within the larger fanbase. He wasn't a big fan of the more mainstream video games and shows that most teens his age enjoyed. He was not very popular at school, due to his dislike of less intelligent matters that an American teenager would associate themselves with. He wasn't a very good fighter either, which didn't help him in situations involving a certain football team and a locker room. Collin got up from his comfortable office chair and looked at himself in the mirror. Collin saw the same reflection he always did: a blonde-haired, green eyed, and awkwardly tall human specimen that had quite a mind at his disposal. After making sure his appearance didn't radically change overnight, he walked out of his dim room and went to fix whatever technical issues the TV was experiencing.

After repairing the TV and being yelled at a few times by a stressed and hormonal mother, Collin returned to his well worn keyboard to finish his ''work''. He completed his new game, wrote some AmourShipping fanfics, and decided it was time to call it a night. He climbed into his horribly short bed and faded into a deep slumber, not knowing what destiny had in store for him.

**8:45:01 AM, Vaniville Town, Kalos (Video Game Universe)**

Serena woke up as her alarm clock rang. ''Ugh….why did I set the alarm to go off so early?''

Serena was an average trainer trying to make her way to the Pokémon League. She had only just obtained her first Pokémon, a Fennekin. Many people considered her to be ''late to the party'', because it took her nearly 5 years to start her journey. She hadn't even beaten her first gym yet. She thought at first about defeating the famous Elite 4, then her thoughts drifted to meeting the perfect boy and starting a relationship. She daydreamed about this until she heard her mother's voice calling her to breakfast.

Serena finished her meal, and got dressed and ready to train with her Pokémon. She decided to depart from her average outfit, instead opting for a pair of blue skinny jeans, black rubber riding boots, and a comfortable gray T-Shirt. She stepped out of her front door and walked out to the open field that she used for training, unaware of the unexpected events that would be occurring very soon.

**Unknown Time, Unknown Location**

Collin woke up from his sleep in a strange realm that he had never place was a truly beautiful area, high in what appeared to be clouds, underneath a pale blue sky. Collin was in a temple of some sort, with outrageous architecture never seen in human societies. Collin got up from his resting place and walked toward a door, when a stunning light filled the room. Collin covered his eyes and when he brought his arm down, he saw a being he thought he would never see: Arceus, the Alpha Pokémon.

Collin didn't need the detective skills of Batman to realize that something was amiss here. Before Collin could speak, Arceus spoke in an almost ethereal voice.

''Collin, do not be afraid, I have brought you here because…I need your help.''

* * *

I do not own any intellectual properties or copyrighted material in this story.

Be sure to leave a review, this is my first work and I could definitely use some pointers for future chapters.

If you enjoyed the story and would like to submit a cover for it, please PM me. I haven't found any that would really suit the content yet.


	2. The Conflict At Hand

**Chapter 2: The Conflict At Hand**

* * *

**Unknown Time, Unknown Location**

Arceus explained to Collin that they were in the realm of Pokémon, and began to tell Collin what was happening.

''Collin, I will make this short. There is a tear in the fabric of space-time, and elements of your world are merging with ours. If you don't choose to help us, millions of people in both areas could be in grave danger.''

''Why am I here?'' Collin asked. He assumed he was supposed to be excited about basically living out his dream, but he wasn't exactly comfortable with millions of lives riding on his actions.

''You may not be the strongest, or even the smartest person Earth has to offer, but I know everything about you, and I know that you are the right choice. '' Arceus stated.

Arceus then proceeded to explain the danger that Collin must face.

''This is the current conflict: there is a group of radicals in Kalos called the Industrial Reform Front. They believe in the enslavement of humans and Pokémon alike to further their goal of rapid industrialization across this world.''

''Normally, this group would not be capable of achieving their goals, because there are far too many humans that oppose them, but with the recent integration of elements from your war-torn world, they have the edge they need to succeed: your peoples' technology. They have the designs for artillery, advanced computer systems, aircraft, and even firearms, things that are nearly unheard of in our society.''

''What we need is a person that has the cleverness and the bravery to help humans and Pokémon alike in this coming conflict. This person is you.''

This puzzled Collin. ''I'm just an average kid, I'm not an expert on military hardware, I'm not strong, and I'm not that brave either…''

Arceus reassured Collin, saying that it wasn't strength or knowledge that made Collin special, but his heart and mind. Collin wasn't big on all of this ''heart'' crap, as his worldview had a logical, anatomical explanation for everything people did.

He considered the facts of the situation, and then responded:

''Okay, Arceus, where do I start?''


	3. Twelve Hours

**Chapter 3: 12 Hours**

* * *

**Obviously A Few Minutes After The Last Chapter, Unknown Location**

Collin had just finished asking which question was the probably most important in his life.

Arceus answered:

''You will start your mission in a town close to Aquacorde Town, where you will meet your partner.''

''My…_partner?_'' Collin was surprised by this, and not in a good way.

Collin was instantly filled with nervousness. How would he convince anyone to join him on a quest that could lead to their demise?

''Arceus, how do you expect a person like me to successfully win over another human being, then get them to stay with me against a group of terrorists with guns?'' Collin asked, laughing at the absurdity of such a proposition.

But Arceus was serious.

''I will pay them a visit, you focus on getting to the town.''

''And one more thing: get some new clothing.''

Before Collin could ask what Arceus meant, he was surrounded by a cloak of darkness, and he lost consciousness.

**11:36:37 AM, Vaniville Town, Kalos**

''Serena! You tracked mud into the house again!''

Serena's mother was not enjoying this new trainer phase, as it meant that the floors of the house had to be cleaned almost every day.

Serena didn't care much about whatever came into the house after her. She wasn't going to grow as a trainer without getting a little dirty. Fennekin, on the other hand, was not happy at all with any kind of dirt in her coat.

Serena went upstairs to wash up. She turned on the water in the tub and took a nice ten-minute bath.

As she dried off, a strange, intense light filled the bathroom as Arceus materialized. Serena was about to scream her head off when Arceus spoke:

''Hello, Serena. We have much to discuss.''

Serena was amazed at first, then realized that Arceus could see almost her entire body, which is not a good feeling if you are ever visited by an all-powerful being in your washroom.

''Uh…what are you talking about?''Serena asked.

Arceus told Serena everything that she had told Collin, then followed this explanation with something that further aggravated the nervousness Serena was feeling.

''Serena, I have a person you need to meet. Be in Aquacorde Town in twelve hours.''

And with that, Arceus disappeared with a flash of light.

Serena wondered who this person would be. She thought they would be another girl, but she hoped that the person was a cute boy that would sweep her off of her feet.

She got dressed, and packed a small bag with clothes, potions, and money for buying food. She put on clean jeans and a pink shirt, her riding boots, and a watch before telling her mother that she was leaving.

Serena's mother gave her the typical response that most mothers give:

''Okay, be safe and have fun!''

**11:36:37 AM, Santalune City, Kalos**

Collin woke up in a hotel room.

He got out of bed, and stretched until he noticed something on the desk in the room.

It was a typed note that read:

_Collin,_

_You have 12 hours to get to Aquacorde Town. Do not be late._

_Also, I left you some supplies. Check the closet._

Collin opened the closet door, and found a small black MOLLE bag with money, a map of Kalos, a knife, and a trauma kit, which instantly put Collin on edge. Was Arceus planning for Collin to get injured?

After looking through the bag, Collin searched the room for any more surprises. He was sorting through an end table when he saw something astonishing: his reflection.

Collin looked at himself closer, and saw that his appearance had changed. He looked like a character from some anime. His eyes were bigger in proportion to the rest of his body, and his normal, real-world acne was gone. He did also see why Arceus told him to get new clothes: he was wearing pajamas.

Collin walked downstairs, and asked the lady behind the counter where he was.

The clerk giggled and said, ''Sir, you're in Santalune City.''


	4. The Frightening Children

**Chapter 4: The Frightening Children**

* * *

**11:40:00 AM, Santalune City, Kalos**

Collin walked out of the hotel, and headed towards the boutique. He was walking around in pajamas, and pajamas are not suitable attire for the nature of the mission Collin was embarking on.

Plus, he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the mystery person that would be joining him on his journey, but he would probably end up doing that anyways.

Collin entered the boutique, where the shopkeeper laughed a little to herself at Collin's current threads. After sorting through endless shelves of ladies' clothing, Collin finally found himself an outfit: a black hooded sweatshirt with red trim, a dark red T-Shirt, a pair of khaki cargo pants, black socks, and gray skate shoes that reminded him of Vans back in America. He paid for the clothes, and put them on promptly after realizing that he had wasted enough time.

A few minutes later, Collin was on the road to Aquacorde Town. He walked for a bit, and was reminded of his sad physical condition.

''Great, I'm even more out-of-shape than I expected,'' He thought to himself.

After more walking, Collin heard the words that would strike fear in any rational being.

''I like shorts! They're comfy and easy to wear!''

**11:40:00 AM, Route 1, Kalos**

Serena was already on the road.

This new adventure excited her, even if it did involve some danger. She wasn't sure what ''firearms'' or ''artillery'' were, but she was still excited to see some in person.

Apparently Arceus didn't have enough time to explain everything.

She continued down the nice, flat, paved road for a time, and an hour or two later, she was in Aquacorde Town.

Serena decided to spend her spare time in town with her trusty companion, Fennekin. Fennekin saw that Serena was very excited, and a normal Pokémon would be excited if their trainer was.

But Fennekin had a bad feeling about this new adventure.

**12:32 PM, Santalune Forest, Kalos**

''Listen, kid, I know what you are thinking, and I'm not going along with it.''

Collin was serious about this. He didn't want to waste valuable time on some trivial battle.

''But if I see you, I have the right to battle you!'' The young trainer was obviously determined to battle.

''Okay, let me spell it out for you: I. DO. NOT. WANT. TO. BATTLE. YOU,'' Collin responded

The young trainer said something that chilled Collin to the bone:

''Hey guys! There's some dude over here that's too chicken to battle! Let's chase him with our Pokémon!''

Suddenly, a small gang of ten year-olds emerged from the brush by the road, with their threatening and imposing army of Fletchlings, Weedles, and other normally weak Pokémon. Collin wasn't scared at first, then he realized something:

He had no Pokémon. Collin verbalized his feelings in the only way he knew how.

''Oh….OH SHIT!''

Collin made the wise choice. He started running away from the kids.


	5. The Meeting

**Chapter 5: The Meeting**

* * *

**4:07:03 PM, Route 2, Kalos**

After running from the kids for a few hours and walking through the forest, Collin was finally at Route 2.

He took a short break, and was about to get moving again when he heard a strange noise. It sounded like a bee, or in this case, a Beedrill. Collin tried to follow the sound, and traced it to a patch of tall grass.

Collin didn't want to be attacked by Beedrill, but his curiosity got the better of him.

But this sound wasn't produced by a Beedrill.

Collin moved the tall grass a bit, and instead of a Pokémon emerging, a small quadrotor came out instead.

''What the heck?'' Collin said.

The hovering contraption floated in front of Collin for a minute or so, then flew off over the trees.

Collin wondered why it was here, but he suspected it was an IRF drone, which wasn't good no matter which way he looked at it. Just as Collin put the drone at the back of his mind, he heard an even louder noise.

The sound of an MQ-9 Reaper flying towards him.

Collin started running, this time legitimately fearing for his life. The Reaper launched a canister of some kind, and Collin dove for cover behind some rocks.

The canister didn't explode, however. Instead, the cap flew off and revealed a hollow compartment.

After Collin looked at the canister a bit, he decided that it was safe to approach. He looked inside, and found a small device that looked like a cellular phone. Collin picked it up, and just as he lifted it up it put out a hologram. The message was very simple:

''We know why you are here.''

**5:14:02 PM, Aquacorde Town, Kalos**

Serena was sitting by the river, bored out of her mind.

''How long is this going to take?'' She thought to herself. After this thought, she saw something interesting, a new Pokémon or something. It was a black object with wings and a propeller.

Serena pulled out her Pokédex and scanned the object. The Pokédex didn't give any helpful information, to Serena's surprise. Instead, it displayed ''Analysis Inconclusive'' on-screen.

Serena had never heard of a Pokédex not being able to identify a Pokémon. Just as she was attempting to scan again, the creature accelerated away.

Serean was filled with disappointment. She wanted to learn about every Pokémon, and she just spoiled an opportunity to identify one. She walked along the bank of the lake for a little while, and then decided to head back to town. On the way, Serena encountered another cool Pokémon.

It looked like a box with four propellers holding it up in the air. ''Wow! What a strange Pokémon!'' Serena exclaimed.

She decided to try to catch this mystery Pokémon. She pulled out a Great Ball and threw it straight at the creature, which warranted some unexpected results.

Instead of capturing the Pokémon, the ball knocked one of the propellers straight off of it. The poor creature flew in circles for a few seconds, then collided with the ground and burst into flames.

Serena's eyes were filled with tears as she realized that she had just killed a Pokémon. After the flames went out, Serena picked the poor thing up and started to try to heal it with potions when someone came out of the forest.

It was everyone's favorite foreigner in Kalos, Collin.

''Uh…what's going on here?'' Collin was genuinely wondering why such a pretty girl was crying like this.

''This Pokémon is hurt, and I don't know how to help it,'' Serena said between sobs.

Collin looked over Serena and saw the same drone that had identified him on Route 2.

''Well…that's not a Pokémon….'' Collin said.

Serena blushed and wiped the tears from her face. She felt stupid for believing that she had just murdered a Pokémon, and was embarrassed that she had been seen crying, especially by a boy.

''I'm…I'm Serena,'' Serena said.

''My name's Collin,'' Collin responded.

Collin made a startling conclusion. If this girl was the same Serena he thought she was, that meant that Ash was around here somewhere. Collin decided to ask about him.

''Where's Ash?''

''Who's Ash?'' Serena responded with a confused look on her face.

Collin thought for a few seconds, and realized that he must be in the video game world, not the parallel anime world.

Serena asked Collin if he knew of someone coming to town looking for her.

''What do you mean?'' Collin asked.

''You'll probably think I'm crazy, but Arceus invaded my bathroom earlier today and told me that someone was gonna meet me in town,'' Serena said, worried about what Collin would think of her.

Collin was instantly excited. Not only was he in the world of Pokémon, he had a kind, visually pleasing girl to travel with.

With his excitement, he also had feelings of worry. He knew this journey would be dangerous, and Collin didn't want to see Serena get hurt.

''Well, this may be a little hard to believe, but I'm actually looking for someone too.''

* * *

Sorry if the story is getting off to a slow start, but it's important that the main characters have at least a semisolid relationship before the real adventure begins.


	6. Inhumanity

**Chapter 6: Inhumanity**

* * *

**5:15:17 PM , 12 Kilometers Outside of Camphrier Town, Kalos**

''Sir, you need to see this,'' An IRF Soldier said with a stunned look on his face.

''Some fool has just destroyed one of our reconnaissance drones.''

An older, bearded man wearing a gray uniform with a nametag that read ''Morgan'', was surprised when he heard this. So far, the drone operations had gone well in the region, no resistance from any authorities or trainers. In addition, the base was hidden under layers of bedrock, so the primitive inhabitants of Kalos couldn't invade if they tried.

Morgan had always disapproved of Kalos society, from the hordes of children armed with lethal creatures to their foolish pursuit of a ''green'' civilization. In his mind, the only way to true human success was through the use and manipulation of nature, and to an extent, people. Those who were deemed worthy of freedom deserved a better future, even if it took a few thousand deaths to create it.

This world needed to be reset.

The gruff, aging man's thoughts were broken by a question from the soldier:

''Should I send another drone to take care of this?''

''No,'' Morgan responded '', now is not the right time.''

The leader of the Industrial Reform Front understood one thing: the people of Kalos would not submit if one waste of carbon died. They needed a much larger, more deadly message: the destruction of an entire town.

And Morgan had just the place in mind.

**6:00:00 PM, Aquacorde Town, Kalos**

Collin and Serena had just made their way back to town, when Collin heard the all-too-familiar sound of his wonderful stomach growling.

''Hey Serena, do you want to get anything to eat?'' Collin asked.

''Sure, I'm feeling a little hungry, actually,'' Serena said back.

''Good, my blood glucose levels must be getting pretty low right about now,'' Collin said.

''Did I really just say that?'' Collin thought to himself, mentally facepalming himself.

Serena giggled a little at how utterly awkward Collin was. Normally, she would be repelled by such an awkward person, but she thought it was kind of cute when Collin said something geeky.

The two went to a quaint café and decided to sit outside so they could enjoy the nice weather.

The waitress came over to the table and took drink orders. Collin got to go first.

''I'll have a Coca-Cola.''

Collin realized his mistake when the two girls looked at Collin like he was an alien.

''I mean….uh…just give me some soda,'' Collin said, correcting himself.

Serena ordered lemonade, and the drinks arrived shortly after, which allowed the two to talk a little bit.

The two talked about family, which Serena was excited to talk about. She told Collin all about her mother, who was a famous Rhyhorn Racer. Collin, on the other hand, was reluctant to talk about his family. He saw his mother as only a contributor of genetic material, and never really had a happy relationship with her. Serena, on the other hand, seemed to have a great bond with her mother, which made Collin a little angry on the inside. What was it that Serena had that he didn't?

Collin quickly pushed these thoughts out of his head, seeing that it wasn't Serena's fault that Collin's family life sucked.

Serena then started talking about her friends, which also made Collin a little gloomy because it reminded him that he was really bad at making friends. Just as Collin thought that this conversation would never end, Serena asked Collin about his hometown.

''Which region are you from? Hoenn?'' Serena asked out of sheer curiosity.

But Collin didn't give her the response she was expecting.

''Well Serena, I'm not from any region in this world. I'm from a place called America, on a planet that isn't nearly as peaceful as this one.''

''People in my world, instead of being friendly, sensitive, and open to ideas, are greedy, aggressive, and always willing to take human lives to reach their goals.''

Serena felt chills race up her spine. How did people from this other world live like that?

''The world is torn apart by war, and humanity possesses technology so dangerous it threatens to make our world uninhabitable.''

''See, Serena, that's why we have to go on this journey. We have to stop this world, _your world,_ from turning into a warzone.''

Serena was instantly filled with determination. She wouldn't let her mother, or anyone else in all of Kalos come to harm. She told herself that she was strong, and that she would protect everyone.

The two finished ate their meals in silence. An hour or so later, Collin decided that it was time to leave. He started walking away, making Serena run after him to catch up. She felt terrible about reminding Collin of whatever horrors were occurring in his world.

The two got a hotel room in Aquacorde Town, and Collin went to sleep almost immediately. Serena stayed up for a little while and played with Fennekin before getting in bed. She decided to make it a point to introduce Fennekin to Collin the next day. She was sure that he would be impressed that she had her own Pokémon.

She looked over to Collin, smiled, and went to sleep.

* * *

I figured that this chapter would be a good one to introduce the main villains and Collin's inner feelings about the journey and his family.

Once again, please leave a review so that I can write better future chapters, or to simply give me a bit of motivation if you enjoyed the story.


	7. Of Outfits and Crowbars

**Chapter 7: Of Outfits and Crowbars**

* * *

**3:04:37 AM, Aquacorde Town, Kalos**

Collin woke up in a cold sweat.

He looked around the room, making sure that everything was still in place. Serena was still asleep, the bags were still there, and everything looked tidy except for Collin's bed, which was missing sheets and blankets for some reason. Collin figured that he had simply kicked them off while he was asleep.

For the next few minutes, he tried to get back to sleep, but for whatever reason he couldn't. Collin decided to take a walk, thinking that a nice stroll around the town would calm his nerves.

Collin put on his clothes, unlocked the door, and walked out to the lobby. From there, he opened the door of the small hotel and moved onto the street.

After walking for a little while, Collin noticed something strange. Most of the lights in the town were off, but Collin could see one house with the lights on. Collin thought nothing of it at first, then he noticed something very unsettling: the window was broken.

Collin wasn't sure if he should investigate further. After a bit of thought, he decided to enter. Collin grabbed a loose brick from the side of the house and climbed through the window.

The house looked like a tornado had come through. Objects were misplaced, cabinets were open, and the furniture was flipped over. The sofa was covering the front door, as if someone was trying to keep invaders out….

Just then, Collin heard an unsettling noise, the sound of an old woman yelling at what sounded like a rather large man.

Collin considered leaving, but some part of him drove him to climb up the stairs towards the noise.

''_I am here to help people, right?''_

Collin reached the bedroom. The door looked like it had been kicked in, and the sound was coming from the inside. Collin peeked around the corner and saw a masked man robbing the woman Collin heard downstairs.

Suddenly, Collin figured out a use for that brick he was carrying.

''Brick, I choose you!''

Collin moved in closer to the man and threw the brick as hard as he could. The brick connected with the back of the thief's head, and made a satisfying crack as it knocked the villain to the floor. The man stirred for around 3 seconds, then lost consciousness.

The old woman was completely speechless. First, her house was ransacked, now some young person had just saved her.

''Uh…nice house you got here…..'' Collin said awkwardly.

The woman said nothing, which made Collin a little disappointed. He was hoping for one of those reactions you would see in some superhero movie. But Collin found something that washed his temporary disappointment away: a crowbar.

Collin picked it up and felt the weight of the bar in his hands.

''It's time to save the world, Gordon Freeman style,'' Collin thought to himself.

After quickly checking the room for Gravity Guns, Collin decided that now was a good time to leave.

''Um…lady…you might need to call the authorities, like, now,'' Collin said to the lady as he left her room.

After a casual walk, Collin returned to the hotel room, where Serena was still asleep and peaceful.

''Gee, she sure is pre-'' Collin cut himself off, realizing that he was purposely watching a girl sleep, and from what Collin learned in Kindergarten, girls found that a little strange.

Collin stashed the crowbar in a slot on the outside of his bag, got back in bed, and went to sleep.

**7:45:00 AM, Aquacorde Town, Kalos**

The alarm clock sounded, and a drowsy Serena got out of bed to get ready for the day.

Serena considered waking Collin up, but she figured that he needed his rest. She took a shower, but when she got out she couldn't decide on what to wear. She decided to consult Collin on this matter.

She put on a bath robe and went to wake Collin up. She grabbed a pillow and proceeded to beat him over the head with it until he woke up.

''Wake up, sleepyhead!'' Serena yelled at Collin while delivering maximum punishment to his peaceful sleep.

Collin sprang to life after the tenth blow, and asked Serena what she was doing with that pillow.

''I'm waking you up, silly. I need help deciding what to wear,'' Serena said to Collin before hitting him with the pillow one last time.

Serena held up two outfits in front of Collin, then asked him which one he liked best.

''I..uh…hmm…well…I like that one,'' Collin said, pointing to an outfit that consisted of beige pants with a light yellow long-sleeved top, complete with a light blue scarf.

''This one it is then!'' Serena said, clearly excited about getting Collin's opinion.

Serena was about to finish the outfit with a hat, but Collin interjected.

''I think you look better without a hat, actually,'' Collin said to Serena, making her blush a little. Serena tried to hide her face by turning around, but Collin had already seen Serena's blush, which made him slightly red in the face as well.

Collin was mesmerized by the girl's flowing honey-blonde hair and happy personality. He caught himself fantasizing about her on multiple occasions, and this was no exception.

Collin was afraid Serena would pick up on his crush, so he instantly snapped himself out of his thoughts and went to get cleaned up.

''What an interesting guy….'' Serena thought to herself as Collin left.

* * *

I wasn't really sure what to do with this chapter, so I decided to give Collin and Serena a few opportunities to interact in interesting ways.

Plus, Half-Life references are always fun.


	8. A Message They Will Not Forget

**Chapter 8: A Message They Will Not Forget**

* * *

**9:31:46 AM, Aquacorde Town, Kalos**

Collin and Serena decided that it was time to leave, so they put on their backpacks and checked out of the hotel.

''So, Serena, where do we go from here?'' Collin asked. He didn't have any leads or locations, so he had no idea what they were supposed to do. He worried about what the enemy he was supposed to be fighting was going to do next.

''I dunno, Collin,'' Serena said while trying to think of something fun to do. Just as she was about to suggest finding a person to battle, her Holo Caster rang. She pulled the device out of her bag and answered it.

''Oh hi, Calem!''

Serena was surprised to be getting a call from Calem, she hadn't talked with him since he left home a few months back.

''Hey Serena, I'm back at home and I was wondering if you wanted to hang out,'' Calem said.

''Sure Calem! I would love to!'' Serena exclaimed, ecstatic about the opportunity to see her neighbor. She looked over to see a slightly irritated Collin staring at her.

Serena ended the call, then looked over and asked Collin what his issue was.

''You just set up a meeting with your friend, back in your hometown, when we have a set mission that may or may not have human lives resting on it!'' Collin said, angry about the lack of seriousness Serena had about their quest.

''Calm down Collin, we don't even know where they are yet. Let's enjoy our lives a little until we figure out what exactly we are supposed to do.'' Serena said.

''Man, she's fun to be with, but kind of ignorant at the same time,'' Collin thought to himself.

Serena and Collin walked back to Route 1, and continued down the path until they reached Vaniville Town.

* * *

''Mom, I'm home!'' Serena said at a volume that could be heard throughout the entire house. Serena's mother came down the stairs and gave Serena a loving hug.

Collin was saddened by this. He didn't get hugs much back at his home...

''Who's this?'' Serena's mother asked.

''This is my friend Collin,'' Serena replied, 'We decided to go on a journey together!''

''Is that so?'' Serena's mother said, feeling a little suspicious of the teenager beside her daughter.

''Um…hi, ma'am, '' Collin said with a hint of nervousness to his voice.

''This woman's eyes are burning into me,'' Collin thought.

''Please, call me Grace,'' Serena's mother said, trying to get Collin to warm up a bit.

''Okay, nice to meet you, Grace,'' Collin replied, feeling slightly better about his relationship with this lady.

Just as Grace was about to continue speaking with Collin, the front door opened, and Serena's face immediately lightened up.

''Calem!'' Serena exclaimed before hugging the black-haired trainer around the neck.

Collin immediately felt a hint of jealousy, a feeling which he quickly suppressed. Calem was just Serena's friend, right?

''Hey, Mrs. Grace!'' Calem said before getting another hug from Grace.

Calem looked over at Collin with what appeared to be a glare. Collin disliked this guy already.

''So, Serena, who's this guy?'' Calem asked, pointing at Collin.

''That's Collin! He and I are going on a journey together!'' Serena said with a smile, which quickly disappeared when she saw Calem's visible look of slight anger towards Collin.

After a little bit of catching up between the friends, Calem asked if Serena wanted to go out into the forest to find Pokémon with him.

''Sure! Collin, come along with us!''

'This is gonna be interesting….'' Collin thought.

**12:07:34 PM, IRF Air Base 01, 250M under Route 14, Kalos**

''It's time.''

The once-silent hangar was filled with the sound of jet engines. 14 fully-armed F-35 Joint Strike Fighters lifted off in VTOL mode and flew out of the hidden hangar door.

''Anvil Leader to all aircraft: Once in range, engage all designated targets. Let's send these fools a message they won't soon forget.''

The squadron switched to conventional flight mode, turned, and accelerated toward their target.

**12:26:34 PM, Forest around Vaniville Town, Kalos**

The three left the house and walked into the thick trees, where there were surely tons of Pokémon to find and catch. After walking deeper into the woods, the three teens sat down in a clearing.

''Hey guys, I'm going to go pick some berries. You two stay here, OK?'' Serena said. She wanted to show her friends, especially Calem, that she didn't need to be escorted everywhere.

After Serena left, Calem started talking to Collin.

''So, she decided to go with _you _on her first journey, huh?'' Calem said, feeling a little offended by the fact that Serena chose this lanky fool with no Pokémon over him.

''Uh, yeah, is there a problem with that?'' Collin said. He felt a little threatened by Calem's words.

Calem followed his previous statement with an even bolder one:

''Collin, if you do _anything_ to hurt her, you'll be in for a world of pain.''

Collin had encountered some jerks before, and he thought that Calem fit the bill perfectly. Just as it seemed that an engagement was inevitable, Serena returned with a huge basket full of berries.

''Wow, that's a lot of berries! Thanks, Serena!'' Collin said, trying to gain a leg up against Calem in Serena's mind.

Serena sent out Fennekin and fed her a few berries. Collin was quite impressed with this fox for some reason.

''Wow, Pokémon are a lot more imposing in person,'' Collin thought to himself.

After seeing Serena's Pokémon, Calem suggested that the two trainers have a friendly battle.

Serena sent out her Fennekin, and Calem sent out his Quilladin.

''Gee, he sure has trained hard,'' Serena thought, worried that she would suffer a humiliating loss.

''Fennekin, use Ember!''

Quilladin was hit with the flames and suffered a burn, but was still in the battle. Calem's Pokémon countered with a Mud Shot, which was not only super-effective on Fennekin, but extremely disheartening as well. Fennekin was now filthy, and pretty low on health from what Collin was seeing.

Just as Serena was going to command Fennekin to counter, the two heard a sound that they had never heard before. It started out soft, but it intensified as time went on.

''C'mon guys, let's go find out what that sound is coming from!'' Serena said, feeling abnormally curious about this mystery noise.

The group moved towards a hill, which offered a good view of the town in the distance.

Calem and Serena were trying to find the source, when Collin noticed something. A group of small specks was moving in the sky.

He looked at the group again, but this time the specks were larger and moving very fast.

Collin couldn't identify what they were until one turned.

It was a fighter jet.

One of the fighters opened its weapon bay and released an AGM, which promptly collided with a house.

Calem and Serena didn't grasp the situation until 13 other planes flew in and started firing missiles at every building in sight.

Serena saw something that no person should ever have to see.

She saw her neighbors, her friends, running away from the inferno that engulfed almost the entire town.

The planes finished their pass, and just when Serena thought the slaughter was over, a stray missile hit a house. _Her_ house.

Serena thought about her mom, then started to weep bitterly.

Collin felt Serena's pain. He couldn't bear to see her like this. He started to walk over to her to try and provide some comfort, but before he reached her, a fist collided with the side of his face.

Collin turned and, realizing that there was no avoiding this fight, rammed his knee into Calem's abdomen. Calem countered and rammed his fist into Collin' chin.

''This never would have happened if you didn't come here!'' Calem screamed, clearly overcome with rage. Collin considered trying to explain things, but something inside of him drove him to continue the fistfight.

Calem wound back for a punch, but Collin threw his own punch and hit him in the eye. Calem reared back from the hit, but ran back towards his foe and wrapped his arm around his neck. Collin then rammed his elbow into Calem's gut, which caused him to cringe in pain. Collin tackled Calem and started punching him repeatedly in his facial region.

''Stop! Please Collin, just stop!'' Serena screamed while trying to pull Collin off Calem.

Collin was too angry to stop. He threw Serena off of him and continued to beat Calem repeatedly.

Serena continued to plead with Collin until he finally let up. Collin stared at his blood-covered hands, immediately regretting his actions.

'' I should have been trying to save people, to comfort Serena, to do _anything _helpful, not pulverizing one of Serena's best friends…''Collin thought to himself, barely holding back tears himself.

''I have to make this right,'' He ran towards the town.

* * *

This chapter is a bit of a change for the story. This chapter is way longer than any of the other ones, and the villains have finally made their move.

I really enjoyed writing this, because this chapter is the one that sets the stage for the rest of the plot.

Leave a review if you like, I could really use the feedback; I'm not going to be able to improve much if I don't get any. Anyways, thanks for reading, and I'll see you fine people next chapter!


	9. Inferno

**Chapter 9: Inferno**

* * *

**12:47:03 PM, Vaniville Town, Kalos**

Collin ran down the hill towards the burning wreck that used to be Vaniville Town. He drew his crowbar and moved towards Serena's house.

Collin broke open one of the windows, because the missile had turned the front door into an impassable blaze. He climbed in, searching for Grace.

Collin repeatedly yelled her name as the house fell to pieces. He was no expert on structures, but he could tell that this house wouldn't stand much longer.

Collin's screams became more and more urgent as time went on. He had to find Grace, either for Serena or for his own conscience. Just as Collin was losing hope, he heard a faint voice.

Collin followed his ears to the sound, which was emanating from the top floor of the house. Collin started to search the floor, starting with the closest bedroom to the stairs.

Collin opened the door, and saw the source of the noise: Grace, pinned under a section of the ceiling. He started to pry the debris off of the woman, and after some force, Grace was free.

''Can you walk?'' Collin asked, feeling the surge of adrenaline coursing through his bloodstream.

''I think my leg's broken….'' Grace replied, pointing to a twisted section of her leg. The sight of the broken limb made Collin feel like vomiting.

Collin put his feelings aside and helped Grace up, supporting her with his shoulder. The two made their way towards the stairwell, when a huge chunk of the roof fell directly in their path. They were trapped.

Collin considered his options, and only one really stood out: jump from the window.

''Sorry Grace…but it looks like we're going to have to jump.''

Collin pulled his friend's mother along, into the next bedroom, which clearly was Serena's, judging from the pink bedroom set and stuffed Pokémon dolls. He broke the window, and grabbed the sheets off of the bed. He tied one end of the sheets to the window, and told Grace to grab the improvised rope.

Grace was reluctant to risk breaking her other leg, but she knew that there weren't any other options that made sense. She grabbed the sheets and slowly made her way down to ground level. Collin was about to follow when the rope broke.

''Oh, great,'' Collin said, coming to terms with the fact that he was probably going to burn to death. He ran down the hallway towards another door, when flames shot out of the wall and caught his jacket, igniting it. He panicked and pulled the burning article of clothing off his body.

Collin continued to another door, which led to what appeared to be a spare room. He then busted out the window in this room, and was about to jump out when he heard what sounded like a bird. He looked over and saw a Fletchling, with one of its wings bent at an odd angle.

Feeling sorry for the poor thing, Collin picked it up and vaulted out of the window.

* * *

Collin woke to the small bird creature pecking at his face. He looked up saw what appeared to be police and firefighters surrounding the house. Calem was nowhere in sight, but Collin guessed that he was at his house.

He picked himself up off of the ground, immediately feeling sharp pains in his arms and torso. Years of playing MMOs and watching Pokémon don't really prepare a person to save people from burning buildings. His face and hands were bruised, and blood dripped from a gruesome-looking cut that ran over his shoulder and down his arm. Despite his pain, Collin was able to pick himself up and walk toward the nearest group of authorities.

After coughing quite a few times and speaking with one of the firefighters, Collin was given an oxygen mask and had his injuries treated. Just as he was looking around, Collin saw Serena running in his direction.

Collin was about to say something when Fletchling hopped over to him.

''Fletchling!'' Serena exclaimed while cradling the small Flying-type. She then looked over to Collin as fresh tears accumulated in her eyes,

''Collin…I….I don't know what to say,'' Serena said. Collin was about to respond with a generic remark when Serena leaned over and hugged him tightly. Collin wasn't quite sure what to do in this situation, but he went with his intuition and squeezed Serena back.

The two hugged until Grace came over to thank Collin for what he did.

''Uh, it wasn't a problem,'' Collin said, trying to hide the fact that he considered having to run into a collapsing building a big problem. After getting another hug, this time from Grace, Collin was called over by a group of police. After a tedious interrogation, Collin was finally free to go. He was walking back over to Serena when he overheard a conversation that made him freeze in his tracks.

''…they apparently traced the attackers to somewhere around Laverre City….''

Hearing those words made Collin's blood boil. He wanted revenge, and now he had a location.

''Come on Serena, we need to go.'' Collin said to his friend.

''But Collin…Mom probably needs my company,'' Serena said with concern.

Collin pulled Serena aside.

''Serena, what if I told you that I know where the attackers are? Would you come with me?'' Collin said.

Serena felt rage build up inside of her. She looked at Grace, then turned back to Collin.

''Let's go.''

* * *

Hello readers, I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I know I am enjoying writing it :)

Anyways, I will be going out of town for the next two weeks, so I'm not sure if I will be able to post a new chapter or not.

Once again, leave a review with your thoughts on the writing. I could use the feedback.


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